Behavioral Health Data Added to Health Equity Tracker
January 25, 2022
In support of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute’s (SHLI) commitment to create systemic change at the intersection of policy and equity, the Health Equity Tracker (HET) team is excited to announce the expansion of the health outcomes offerings of the tracker through the creation of a “Behavioral Health” category and the addition of five (5) indicators:
- Frequent Mental Distress
- Depression
- Suicide (Deaths)
- Opioid and Other Substance Misuse
- Alcohol Use (Excessive Drinking)
The World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual realized their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to their community. This newly added category was purposefully titled behavioral health given the inclusion of substance use disorders as key indicators, which in conjunction to mental health encompasses all components of overall wellness.
Significant disparities in outcomes, gaps in data, and other data quality issues exists for Behavioral Health, which make it difficult or impossible to understand the true impact of these issues among patient populations. Reducing behavioral health disparities, improving reporting, categorization, and standardization of definitions used between data sources and achieving the ultimate goal of health equity, requires understanding the wide range of factors that contribute to these outcomes. The HET is built to empower analysis and comparison for these indicators to support programs, policies, and other efforts that advance health equity. To learn more about our sources and methodology, please click here.
The historical challenges of addressing health equity have demonstrated that without robust data we cannot make the case for effective changes that reduce disparities. In the behavioral health field, these data gaps are profoundly sparse and inconsistent. Clinicians have highlighted how inconsistent language use, duplication of services, and siloed record keeping can lead to patients being lost in the system. Infusing an ability to track and visualize behavioral health disparities into the HET allows us to see what regions of the country are more collaboratively supporting their most vulnerable populations, and recommend best practices for those areas that are behind the curve. As the list of indicators we track with the HET grows and evolves, so will the success of our efforts to promote behavioral health equity as integral to overall health equity. There is no optimal health without mental and behavioral health, and the HET will champion the efforts to succinctly visualize data to emphasize exactly what that means for the United States.